There's a Light at the End of this Tunnel
by weloveyouconrad
Summary: Takes place after 4x13 Alone. Beth has been kidnapped by a strange group of men. Knowing she can't count on Daryl to save her, Beth must rely on what she has been taught to escape. SMUT in later chapters. Rated M: language, sexy time, dark themes
1. Chapter 1

There's a Light at the End of this Tunnel

There was only darkness. The blindfold was wrapped securely around her head, effectively blocking out all light and muffled any noise.

Beth had been kidnapped. Her captors had had an easy time getting her. Her ankle, while wrapped, had swollen up and she could only hop around clumsily. They had snuck up, and snatched her from behind while she had been waiting for Daryl.

She had tried to fight back, but all she did was wiggle the bookbag off her back, when she landed with a thud on the dirt ground. They muffled her screams with a damp rag.

After that, she blacked out.

* * *

When Beth came to, she was in a moving car. Her hands and feet were bound together, and though she tried desperately, she couldn't loosen the knots. She had to rely on the movement of the car to aid her.

The car suddenly turned right, and Beth made a mental note.

1..2..3..4..5..

Left turn…

Beth quietly counted while trying to wiggle free, in what she guessed was the trunk

"I'd rather be stuck in a trunk with a horde of walkers," Beth muttered to herself, her mind traveling back to that terrifying evening when Daryl and she were stuck in the trunk of a car.

Oh Daryl…

Beth pushed the thought of him away while she hoped and prayed that he would save her; the chance of that was slim. She was probably too far gone for him to track the car. He may be an amazing tracker, but you can only go so far before the trail goes cold.

Right..

1..2..3..

Left...

Beth noted that the car had begun to slow down. Beth's heart was pounding, and her dinner threatened to make a reappearance. The car came to a sudden halt, and Beth was lurched to the side, hitting her head. Knowing that it would leave a bump, she groaned.

Beth's breath hitched in her throat when she heard the muffled sound of voices. She stayed still and strained to hear what the voices were saying.

"..take her out. She's our…"

"...no she isn't. She's a pest that stole our food and…"

Beth could only make out bits and pieces, but she was sure that they were talking about her.

The voices got closer to the trunk and Beth stopped moving completely. Blinding light seeped past her blindfold as the trunk was opened, and Beth was exposed to the sunlight.

She felt large rough hands reach for her, and while wanting to get as far away as possible, she knew the chances of her escaping were very slim. After all, she was bound, her ankle was broken, twisted, and she couldn't see a damn thing.

She was picked up and roughly thrown over someone's shoulder. The body was obviously built, and reeked of cigarette smoke. She faked being unconscious, in hopes to hear some helpful information about who these people were. Though they had captured her, she wouldn't give up on hope. The apocalypse did crazy things to many good people.

She heard two other voices besides the one carrying her. They also sounded gruff, and Beth guessed they were both strong, able-bodied men. Her head rolled to the side, and she held her breath when one of the other men started talking.

"He ain't gonna be happy about getting only one," the voice to her left said, in a hushed whisper. "And she's so small. Not a lot to show for."

"Yeah, well she'll last for a while. Besides, we have others to tend to before her. Whatever he wants, he'll do," the voice carrying her replied. "He calls the shots."

"Whatever, I'm just sick of fetching shit for him like a damn dog while he gets to stay here and stay safe. It ain't fuckin fair."

Beth heard what sounded like a slap upside the head, and a groan of pain.

"Just shut the fuck up. I'm sure he can hear your voice."

* * *

The sound of creaking wood let Beth know they were on a porch. They traveled into a house, and the other voices grew farther away as they she descended down a staircase into a basement. Beth smelled something awful as they descended. It only grew stronger as Beth was forcefully put on ground. The man tied her hands over her head, and Beth started squirming. The realization that she was kidnapped and wouldn't be able to escape, finally dawning on her. The man chuckled quietly,and after securing the knot, undid her blindfold.

"Well, looks like the lil' missus has finally woken up."

He definitely looked intimidating. He had unkempt facial hair and rotten teeth. His breath was laced with smoke and something very...off..like he had eaten something weird. His brown eyes could have been kind, in another lifetime, but now they looked unstable. They were eyes of man who had lost himself in this new world.

"Where...where am I ?" Beth asked, not knowing what to say to this stranger.

The man gave a toothy grin, "You're safe lil' missus. Somewhere secure."

The confused look on Beth's face made the man chuckle.

"Don't you worry your little pretty head. We'll take care of you."

"We'll?" Though Beth knew there were others, she needed to get as much information as she could. Anything could be useful.

"There's five of us. All capable men. We'll supply food, shelter, protection..."

"I...why did you take me?" Beth knew she was treading on thin ice. He could snap at any moment. One could never assume in situations like these, granted Beth lacked the personal experience. He smiled softly. He really seemed quite sane for someone who had tied up a helpless girl in a basement.

"You were lil' lonesome. Just a helpless lil' miss. You're so thin I just knew you were by yourself, and I'm sure you wouldn't go without a fight. It was just precautions we had to take. I'm sure you have lots of questions."

It sounded like his little speech had been well rehearsed. Beth was going to take advantage of his kindness, though.

"Um..I wasn't alone. I mean, I was, but not like how you think. People will be looking for me." Beth thought it best to fib a little bit. Though Daryl probably contained the rage of several men.

"That's okay. They weren't taking very good care of you, obviously, if you were by yourself, surrounded by those damn eaters."

Beth bit her lower lip. He seemed to really believe that what he did was okay.

"Why am I tied up? It's really uncomfortable." Beth squirmed for show.

"Im sorry. I know it's not the best way to wake up, but we have to make sure you're not gonna try to do anything stupid. You seem like a nice enough girl. I'm sure you won't try anything silly, but, like I said, it's just a precaution."

A loud thump came from upstairs and the man glanced up, a look of annoyance crossing his face. He stood up and started towards the stairs.

"Wait...are you leaving?" Beth asked quietly. Maybe if she gained trust, she could get an advantage to escape.

The man faced her. "I have to check on something, I'll be back soon lil' missus."

Beth called out to him. "What's your name, if you don't mind? I like putting a name to a face "

The man's gaze pierced into her eyes, studying her intensely. Beth had to force herself to keep eye contact. She had to get him to lower his guard.

"The names Dan. May I ask yours?"

"...Maggie."

End chapter 1

**AN: Hello! This is my very first story I have ever seriously written and published. I'm really not sure what direction I will take with this but if you stick with me I'm sure you will enjoy the ride. It is a romance story after all! Please try to write nice things to me. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thank you for starting this journey with me!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I'm so surprised by how many people are liking this story! Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy the nest chapter. Without further adieu, here is Daryl's perspective a few days after Beth's kidnapping. Enjoy!(:**

* * *

It was night time and the ragtag group of men had finally settled in their makeshift camp. A peaceful silence finally settled as the men fell asleep, and Daryl was finally able to think of everything that had happened. The other men had been hollering and making too much noise, not giving a damn if walkers heard them. The leader, Joe, informed Daryl that there were no rules in the apocalypse. You just did whatever the hell you wanted. Now it was just Daryl and one other man staying up to keep watch. Rules or not, safety was obviously still important enough to these men that they made two men take watch. Daryl knew they didn't want him to keep watch alone. He was the newest member. They were still smart enough to be hesitant to trust Daryl had an advantage. As unruly as the rag tag group of men were, Daryl seemed just as ragged as they did. He had a dangerous glint in his eyes and they knew he would try to kill them all if they did something to upset him. He fit it more than he wished. All his life he thought he was dirt and now those thoughts were keeping him alive.

Daryl was interrupted from his thoughts when the other man, Daryl didn't know or care what his name was, stood up from the other side of the fire. Not bothering to grab his bow, he walked over to a nearby tree and proceeded to take a piss, mumbling to himself something about it not being fair that he couldn't the two of them,all of the other men were all asleep, the majority snoring and having sweet dreams. Daryl knew he could escape if he really wanted to. The other man on watch bumbled around the fire, obviously half asleep. He can suffer one night without sleep Daryl thought to himself. He was used to the lack of sleep when he was alone with Beth. He knew damn well she couldn't defend them both as well as he could. He would often take the night shift and allow himself a few hours when the sky began to lighten up.

Daryl wanted nothing more than to find Beth. He had failed her, letting himself have his guard down. Well look what happens when you aren't careful. Those fucking walkers had been planted. He knew damn well that it was a trap, but he wanted to believe in hope for Beth, she was so innocently good and he had wanted to let himself believe in wholesome good people like her. But now she was gone, and despite him running as fast as he could, he had lost her. She was gone. And now Daryl was with a group of fucking Merles. Just great.

Daryl watched the men all sound asleep. They didn't have a damn clue as to what had happened to him. And they let him know they honestly didn't care.

* * *

_ "The past is the past, bowman." Joe grinned looking at him. "We all have fucked up pasts, don't mean we can't move on." _

_ Daryl stared at him, never letting himself relax. his hands clenching and unclenching around the crossbow. He walked alongside the leader on the train tracks. He felt defeated, any thought of hope had vanished when that black car had driven away, leaving him alone in this God forsaken world. _

_ "I'm sure you had a life before us. Maybe a home, nice automobile. Hell, maybe you even had a nice piece of meat to lie down next to after a long day." Joe looked at him, seeing if he could crack the code to the wild man next to him. "But all that shit? It's gone. You ain't never gonna have that again. None of us are."_

* * *

Daryl had grown up shutting people out of his life. His old man had scarred Daryl, both physically and emotionally. Too many memories of his father coming home drunk off his ass and taking out all his frustration on Daryl. He was just a small boy, but he quickly adjusted to the pain. he knew hiding places and eventually learned how to protect himself. It took a long time to overcome those demons. He hadn't really gotten over it. Over time his scars had healed, but the pain of his past would haunt him for the rest of his life. Beth had been one of the first to really force him out of that dark place in his mind. Rick's group gave him a sense of security, something he didn't grow up with. They slowly chipped away at the walls he had spent years to build up. He had become more comfortable, more accepted at the prison...but the sonofabitch came and destroyed everything they had worked so hard on in an instant.

When Beth and Daryl had gotten separated from the rest of the group he had regressed back to the redneck asshole he was. He shut down, not letting himself feel anything. It was his childhood all over again. Beth, on the other hand, was having none of that. She was determined to make something of her life. Sure the past hurt like hell, but they had to move forward or be lost in the darkness. He still tried to shut her and the pain out. It wasn't until Beth stirred something up from his past that he unleashed all the hurt and anger out on her. For looking so fragile, she could equally match his strength. She had an abundance of love to give, despite losing everyone she loved. He screamed and blamed himself. Because of him, he father was gone. He could have done something. His rage turned to tears and he was reduced to a young child again, yearning for compassion. She never judged him, just held him while he broke down. Daryl was broken. It wasn't until she hugged him as he cried, letting him know she was there, not saying a word that Daryl saw her as something more. She was a beacon of hope. The light at the end of the tunnel. She was joy and strength and everything Daryl couldn't be at that moment.

Daryl stood up from cold ground, his bones aching from the lack of movement and colder temperature. He looked at the group, everyone was asleep, even the other watchman. Daryl scoffed. Maybe he was like them at one point in time,unconcerned about what would come of tomorrow, but now he had a purpose. Daryl grabbed Beth's bookbag, his crossbow, and his own bag and turned away from the snoring men. He walked into the dark wooded area, not looking back at what could have been his new home. The moon was bright and as Daryl ventured deeper into the woods, his head was cleared of his past and his scars. The sound of wildlife and wind brought him peace. He quickly put several miles between him and Joe's group. As the sky began to lighten, he was fueled with the thoughts of the past week. He was prepared to fight tooth and nail for a chance to redeem himself. Daryl was a good man. He was a fighter and a believer. There was only one person who made him think that, and now his mind swirled with thoughts of that person. His mind was only focused on one thing.

He had to find Beth.

End Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so sorry I haven't been updating! I have been SO SO SO very busy with my school musical next weekend. I haven't had any time to update. It doesn't help that I had almost all of this chapter done before it went and deleted itself.): I was so mad that I completely rewrote it, so I'm sorry that it's as dark as it is. I hope enjoy it nonetheless. Here's chapter three! As always, be read and review.(:**

* * *

It had been a week since she was taken by the group of men. The somewhat nice men had turned into savage beasts. Her body was covered in dried up blood, and bruises of varying color and size littered her pale skin. She was hungry, tired, and cold. The men often came down to the basement to poke at her. They enjoyed calling her every foul name under the sun and tormenting her. Her shirt had been cut up and laid in pieces on the ground. Her pants were disgusting smelling, they hadn't untied her since they took her to the basement. She had been forced to relieve herself sitting there. The cold, wet pants just fueled Beth's determination to leave. She was exhausted. The men would often take turns coming down and leering at her. The manhandled her, telling her she was a disgusting whore who brought it upon herself. They never raped her though, much as she knew they wanted to. Beth had asked one of the less disgusting men while he was fondling her body. He was a particularly physical one, and was quite partial to hitting her when she wasn't compliant. When she asked him why he didn't just go through with rape he laughed in her face, his disgusting breath filling her nostrils.

"You're a special treat for the big man" He said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "After he gets a piece of you, we can all do whatever we please."

Beth felt sick. Whoever this man was, Beth didn't want to find out. Lord only knows what she had to endure already wasn't bad enough. She tugged at her binds, tears threatening to escape. She had made herself stop crying quickly after she was captured. There was no point in fighting it now though, Beth knew what would happen to her. She tried to compose herself and hold her head up high.

"And when do I get to meet this 'Big man'?" She asked, hoping the fear in her mind wasn't showing in her face. If it was, the man didn't notice.

"You anxious to get some lil' lady?" He sneered at her. "Guess you are just a lil' whore. Should just take ya now, bet you'd like it. You'll meet him tonight so ya don't have to wait much longer." He glanced up at the staircase. "Actually, sooner rather than later."

He stood up from his squatted position and began untying her binds with a pocket knife. Beth was so weak from lack of movement that she couldn't even fight back. He forced her to stand up and after a few wobbly steps, Beth started walking next to the man. She hated having to lean on him for support, but there wasn't much else she could do. They started up the stairs together, and Beth's mind raced at a million miles per second. She didn't know what would happen to her, but she definitely didn't want to stay to find out.

* * *

Beth could hear the sobs of over girls as she walked down the dark hallway. The closed doors on either side of her let her know what these men really were. They sounded just as broken as she felt.

'I will not let myself become what those girls are' Beth thought to herself. Beth and the man entered a room at the end of the hallway. It was a fairly small room, with hundreds of candles. 'Could almost be romantic looking' Beth though bitterly. Maybe that was the point. The warmth from the burning candles did nothing to calm Beth's nerves. There were two armchairs on one side and a bed on the other. A shadowed figure sat on one of the chairs. The man that had brought her in suddenly pushed her completely in the room. He chuckled darkly.

"She's all yours boss, not much of a fighter, but I bet there's a lil' minx tryna crawl her way out." Beth could feel his breath on her ear and she tried not to shudder.

"Try not to have too much fun, I'll be waiting for you after he's finished." With that he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Beth was trapped in the dark room, completely frozen to the spot when she stood. She was unable to think or even breath.

The man sitting didn't say a word, just watched her. Beth couldn't make out his face from the shadows, but she assumed he was probably middle aged. Even sitting, he appeared to be huge. Even if she wasn't weak from the past week, he would easily be able to take advantage of Beth. He stood up from the armchair and took a step towards her. Beth found her voice as he approached her.

"What are you going to do to me?" She knew the answer, but she just wanted to prolong the inevitable.

He stopped moving and Beth got a good look at his face. He was once attractive, Beth could see that plain as day. He had one of those faces that you could easily trust. He smiled softly at her, his eyes cast downwards as if to feign innocence.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. My names Bill. My companion Dan said your name was Maggie, correct?" His voice was warm and soft. If the situation was different, Beth would have thought him to be a kind man. But that was not the case now, and as much as Beth didn't want to think it, she knew what his intentions were.

"Yes. My name's Maggie. Why are you keeping me here? I had family before your men took me." She pushed the thought of her family away. She couldn't get chocked up the loss of her family. She knew Daryl was looking for her, and she had to get back to him, however impossible that seemed now.

The man chuckled softly before taking another step towards Beth. She countered by taking a step back. He wasn't going to lay a finger on her. She had dealt with enough crap already.

"Nobody's looking for you now. There's no way you would last out there on your own. We can protect you here. Doesn't that sound a lot nicer than being out on you own?"

"Your men aren't exactly the friendliest. I heard girls crying when I came in here. I'm not going to become one of them." The words came out of her mouth before she could bite her tongue. She was surprised by the determination in her voice. "How can I know you'll protect me when this past week I've been beaten and practically tortured?" Her voice wavered slightly but she continued anyways. "I may just seem like a dead girl to you, but I am strong and I will not let you break me like you have with those girls."

Bill frowned, surprised by the frail looking girl's determination to live. She looked like she would break in half in you touched her too forcefully. He would enjoy breaking her will to live. A man has his needs and the spunk this girl contained would do well to quench his thirst.

"I just want you to stay with me for a little bit. If you really want to leave then you can. But all I ask is one little thing. It's only fair. Now I'm a man, and I often have an itchin for a nice lookin piece of tail. And you, my dear, are just what I need. Lie with me just once, and I'll let you go. It's a fair trade I think."

Beth couldn't believe her ears. The idea of freedom made her nearly jump with joy. But of course, it wasn't that simple. He wanted to sleep with her, steal her virginity, make her just as dirty as he was. Beth's breath caught in her throat, she knew he wasn't going to let her go without a fight. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she took a step towards Bill.

He smiled, thinking he had won. She wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Bill's rough hand grasped her bruised cheek, and his other hand slid down to her hip. His face came right up to hers, he got a look at her up-close. She reminded him of a frail bird, so beautiful, yet so defenseless. His lips crashed down on hers, she tasted of rusty blood and vanilla. His men had roughed her up quite a bit. He knew how badly they wanted a piece of her. All the other girls were limp and used past their expiration date. The men loved fresh meat, and this new girl was just what they yearned for. She barely reacted to his moving lips and Bill frowned. He was going to enjoy taking her. Both of his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. His erection was painful, but he wanted her to reciprocate before he took her. The other sluts often thought it they responded enthusiastically he would be more willing to let them go. Oh how they were wrong. This bitch was a challenge, and Bill enjoyed challenges. He moved down to her neck, suckling on her racing pulse. Her hands just laid limp at her side. Bill was getting frustrated with her. He squeezed her waist, digging his fingers into her.

"You're just teasing me, aren't ya? You stupid bitch." He pushed her against the wall, her head smashing into the wall,.

She groaned in pain, and her hands came up to his pants belt. Her fingers were shaking. She just wanted to get this done and other with. He continued to suck on her neck, occasionally biting. Beth felt dirty. As she began undoing her belt, her fingers brushed up against something hard. Her closed eyes opened and she fought the gasp that nearly came out. He still had his knife on him. This was her chance. Beth knew she had to distract him enough to grab the knife. She finished taking off his belt and pressed her body up against his, letting out a little moan. She felt him smile on her neck and she began stoking the bulge in his pants.

"I.. I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff. I hope I do okay." She feigned embarrassment. His hands went to her hand on his bulge, making her rub a little bit harder. He went to unzip his pants, but Beth stopped him.

"No! I want too. I want this to feel good for you."

He chuckled darkly and went back to attacking her neck. Her hands shook as she continued stroking him with one hand. Her other hand slowly inched towards the knife. When her hand finally touched the knife she froze. Her hand that was on his bulge moved to tilt his face up to hers. She kissed him with a ferocity she didn't know she had. Both of his hands cupped her face and Beth took that moment to snatch the knife. Before he could react, she rammed the knife in his stomach.

He let out a gurgled yell, and Beth continued kissing him, trying to muffle the noises he made. She yanked it out and shoved it back in him. His legs buckled underneath him, and Beth shoved him on his back. All her anger and frustration at being helpless vanished as she stabbed him over and over again. Blood splattered her shirt and covered her hands. She finally shoved the knife into his head, making sure he would never return to hurt anyone else.

Beth slumped against the wall, exhausted and yet relieved. Bill's body laid a few feet away from her, the knife protruding from his head. Feeling both overjoyed and utterly broken, Beth put her face in her hands and wept for everything that had happened to her. She wept because she was alone. She wept because she had just taken a human life. She wept because she missed her father, her mother, her sister, her prison family. It wouldn't be long until one of the other men came into the room to find her, but until then, Beth would allow herself this moment. She knew it wouldn't be long, so she waited for them.

End of chapter 3


End file.
